Matching Easter foods with wine

The long Easter weekend is always a great time for getting together with family and friends. It seems that there is no one specific Easter dish in the UK so in this blog I take a look at a number of main dishes served up and down the country and make suggestions for wines that will complement if not enhance your Easter dinner, lunch or brunch.

Firstly, match the richness and weight of the main dish with the body of the wine; so richer dishes with heavier, fuller-bodied wines and light foods with lighter wines.

Fish

My local fishmonger tells me that the tradition of eating fish on Good Friday is not necessarily adhered to these days but for those serving fish very often light crisp wines are the right choice. So try something like a Grechetto, Sauvignon Blanc or a lovely, light Picpoul de Pinet. However if rich sauces are served with the fish go for something with more body like a Sémillon or a Chardonnay, oaked or unoaked.

One exception is for Poached Salmon when it has to be the classic match of an oaked Chardonnay from Burgundy or in a Burgundy style if served without sauces.

Chicken or turkey

Roast chicken and turkey are relatively light but if you are serving either with lots of accompaniments the meal can become rich so bear that in mind. And since chicken has little fat in it, for your red wine choice make sure the wine does not have too many tannins - tannic wines need fattier cuts of meat to help soften the tannins. I would suggest an aged Cabernet Sauvignon with low tannins, a Pinot Noir or a smooth Rhône or Rhône-style wine.

Lamb

Roast Lamb is a popular dish for Easter Sunday and as a fattier meat will stand up to a more tannic wine which effectively cleanses the palate. Left Bank Bordeaux wines which are Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant will work beautifully.

I also find an excellent match in Rioja or you could try Priorat for a change, another Spanish wine from the top DOCG qualification level.

And chocolate!

And as it's Easter a brief mention of chocolate... one of the most difficult foods with which to pair wine.

For a good minimum 70% cocoa dark chocolate, try port or you might get away with Touriga Nacional wine made from one of the main port grapes. Generally though red wines will clash with chocolate and create a bitter taste

For milk chocolate a slightly sweeter style wine will match the creaminess so try a Recioto della Valpolicella or Amarone

For sweet white chocolate follow the guidance for desserts and find a wine sweeter than the food like the light, slightly sweet but crisp, sparkling wine, Moscato d'Asti (also perfect with desserts like my lovely Lemon, Ricotta & Almond Cake)